wow... toughie. I'm a sucker for ore/grain with ports but i guess it's all about how the map is setup.

A port does really come in useful in 'bigger' games,especially if your playing with some of the expansions like I do.

Unless there's a really sweet port/high-producing combo available, I go for all 5 resources, even if the probablity looks like crap.

Besides, we all know that red spots are no guarantee of production... seems like half a game can go by before that damn 6 comes up. My local group even has a myth that the 11 (the larch) is secretly the most probable roll.

I definitely go for all 5 resources if possible, but I also often look for a resource that will be rare. For instance, if brick is a 6 a 12 and a 2, I'll go for the 6 brick because I'll be able to find trades pretty easily.

Actually, with my set 6 brick is prolly more likely to come up LESS often than the 12 and 2 - we've found the 8 is the 'good' red and the 6 is a no show...

There are four factors that I take into account when I place settlements, in descending order of importance:

1. Balance of resources. It's important to have access to all resources. Wood and brick are important at the start, but it's almost impossible to win if you don't have ready access to ore later in the game. Sheep tends to be the easiest to obtain by trading, it seems. Wheat is a must.

2. Dice numbers are important. I avoid building on vertices that have poor dice numbers (2,3,11,12). Equally important is distribution of the numbers. I try to get six different numbers if possible.

3. Manifest destiny. You need to be able to expand and build new settlements in productive areas. Placing two settlements adjacent to each other is generally a bad idea. Many a time I've seen players who had no place for expansion, and never got their game going.

4. Board synergies. Look for unusual situations that you can take advantage of. For instance, placing your settlements near rich wheat hexes, with an accessible wheat port nearby. Or, if there is a resource that would likely be in short supply (e.g. dice rolls of 2,3,6), place a settlement near the richest hex of that resource first.

Never initially place on a port. I've never seen anyone winning when they do this.

Finally, if you end up placing first or second, look at your various options, and place your first settlement on the square that presents the fewest alternatives. That provides a little more flexibility when you place your second settlement last.

I'm a big fan of going for diversity. If you can snag a port during placement, that's a bonus, but in general, early in the game you need a diversity of resources. This allows you better opportunities for trading and gives you the variety you need to build roads and settlements early on in the game. It also keeps you spending so you don't accumulate a lot of cards in your hand you can lose if someone rolls a 7 or hits you with the robber.

A diversity of numbers is good too, the more numbers you have, the greater your odds of getting income.

This is why I love Settlers - no two games are alike because the board is always different, calling for different starting strategies each time.

• I originally would always go for an even spread of resources with least emphasis on Ore since that comes up later in the game and I can build over to ore later or trade for it. This is the most even approach and guarantees you will have resources during most games. The only downside is that the resources may come very slowly.

• A good friend of mine always uses the port strategy, going for a 2:1 port and a town on the best hex for that resource. This is very risky because it limits your ability to build right away. I usually only go for this if I can get my non-port settlement to touch 2 or more hexes of that resource. if you can build your settlement in the middle of 3 hexes of the same resource with good numbers, then this is DEFINETLY the way to go. Immediately upgrade to a city and watch the resource pour in. You can trade for anything you like and feel godlike in the meantime. ;) Mileage may vary.

• Brick/Wood strategy. I think this is what a lot of beginners go for but it can really work for more experienced players, too. The trick here is to get good wood and brick and spend all your energies building a Longest Road to cut off your opponents from your surrounding hexes. Much easier to do with 3 people on a small board or 5 people on a large board. If done right, you can effectively section off an entire chunk of the board and then take your time placing settlements and getting your other resources in. Again, mileage may vary if your opponents are smart enough to build up to your road and build a town in the middle of it.

Lately I've not been placing very well because I'm trying mixes of the first two strategies. I think a strategy works best when you pick one and stick with it and go full bore on it. But it's all up to the numbers and hex placement whether or not it'll work out in the end.